Combined bib and highchair cover with tableware inlets

ABSTRACT

An example apparatus includes a bib shaped to cover at least a portion of a body of a wearer. The apparatus also includes a tray cover extending from the bib. The tray cover is configured to cover at least part of a tray of a highchair. The tray cover is shaped to form an aperture configured to expose a portion of the tray. The apparatus also includes an inlet defined by the aperture. The inlet extends from a back side of the tray cover to a front side of the tray cover. The inlet is configured to receive at least a portion of tableware disposed on the tray and inserted through the inlet.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority to and the benefit as a non-provisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/228,904, filed Aug. 3, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.

FIELD

The present invention generally relates to dining garments and more particularly to a combined bib and highchair cover with tableware inlets.

BACKGROUND

Dining garments, such as bibs and highchair covers, can be used by children or adults to collect food, liquids, or other debris spilled while dining. For example, a dining garment can be spread over a table and/or underneath dishware to intercept spilled debris thereby protecting clothing or furniture covered by the dining garment.

The present disclosure includes dining garments that provide significant advantages over prior art garments of the type described above.

SUMMARY

In an example, a wearable apparatus is provided that includes a bib shaped to cover at least a portion of a body of a wearer. The wearable apparatus also includes a tray cover extending from the bib. The tray cover is configured to cover at least part of a tray of a highchair. The tray cover is shaped to form an aperture configured to expose a portion of the tray when the tray cover is at least partially overlaid on the tray. The wearable apparatus also includes an inlet defined by the aperture. The inlet extends from a back side of the tray cover to a front side of the tray cover. The inlet is configured to receive at least a portion of tableware disposed on the tray and inserted through the inlet.

Additional features and advantages of the disclosed wearable apparatus, and other apparatus, systems, and methods are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and Figures. The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the figures and description. Also, some embodiments do not necessarily include all of the features or advantages listed herein. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a perspective view an example dining apparatus, according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a front side view of the example dining apparatus of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a back side view of the example dining apparatus of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example dining apparatus worn by a wearer seated on a highchair, according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a back side view of the example dining apparatus of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example dining apparatus having an inlet through which tableware is inserted, according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Traditional dining garments may sometimes cause or increase the likelihood of spillage accidents. For example, due to relative motion between a dining garment and a tray or table underneath the dining garment, dishware disposed on top of the dining garment may be more susceptible to slipping, overturning, or moving than if the dishware was instead placed directly onto the tray or table. Additionally or alternatively, fabric materials of some dining garments may be smoother (and thus more prone to slippage) than a surface of the covered tray or table. As another example, a traditional dining garment might not be well adapted for use with modern types of dishware, such as self-sealing tableware. For instance, self-sealing tableware may include a lower surface configured to attach or restrain (e.g., via suction cups, etc.) the tableware onto the surface of the table. However, if a traditional dining garment is placed between the table surface and the tableware, then the tableware may still move or slip relative to the table surface due to motion of the dining garment relative to the table surface whether or not the tableware is of the self-sealing type.

Accordingly, in an example, a dining garment (e.g., table cover, tray cover, combined bib and highchair cover, etc.) is provided that includes a cover configured to overlap at least part of a dining surface (e.g., tray, table, or any other dining surface). The example dining garment is shaped to form one or more apertures (e.g., holes, openings, cut-outs, etc.) positioned to overlap the dining surface. Thus, the aperture(s) define one or more inlets through which a portion of the dining surface is exposed when the cover (or a portion thereof) is placed on the dining surface. The inlet(s) may be configured to receive tableware (or a portion thereof) disposed (directly) on the dining surface and inserted through the inlet.

With this arrangement, the example dining garment could thus protect furniture and/or clothing from spilled debris, while also allowing tableware (inserted through the inlet(s)) to be placed in direct contact with the dining surface.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C illustrate an example embodiment of a dining apparatus 100, according to the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of the dining apparatus 100, FIG. 1B illustrates a front side view of the dining apparatus 100, and FIG. 1C illustrates a back side view of the dining apparatus 100. In the illustrated example, the dining apparatus 100 includes a bib 110, a cover 120, and a strap 130. In alternate examples, the apparatus 100 may include fewer or more components.

In some examples, the apparatus 100 (or one or more components thereof) can be formed as a single garment extending continuously from a top end of the apparatus 100 to a bottom end of the apparatus 100. For instance, in the illustrated example, the bib 110 may correspond to a first lengthwise section of the single garment, the cover 120 may correspond to a second lengthwise section of the single garment between the bib 110 and the strap 130, and the strap 130 may correspond to a third lengthwise section of the single garment.

In alternative examples, one or more components of the apparatus 100 are instead implemented as a detachable extension (e.g., separate garments) that is removably attached to other component(s) of the apparatus 100. For example, the bib 120 and the cover 120 can be alternatively implemented as two separate garments that are detachably connected to one another (e.g., via hook-and-loop fasteners, button and buttonhole fasteners, drawstring fasteners, or any other type of fastener) so as to integrate them into the apparatus 100.

The bib 110, the cover 120, and/or the strap 130 can be formed from a water-resistant fabric or any other fabric suitable for retaining solid and liquid debris spilled onto the apparatus 100.

As best shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the bib 110 includes a right sleeve 112 a and a left sleeve 112 b (collectively referred to herein as sleeves 112). The sleeves 112 are shaped to receive (and cover) arms of a wearer (e.g., a child or adult person) of the bib 110. The bib 110 also includes a torso cover 114 shaped to cover at least a portion of a torso of the wearer. Further, as best shown in FIG. 1C, the bib 110 includes back straps 116 a and 116 b (collectively referred to herein as back straps 116, which can be used to secure the bib onto a body of the wearer by physically attaching the back straps 116 a and 116 b to one another. For example, the back straps 116 may include any type of fastener (not shown) or attachment mechanism, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, button fasteners, drawstrings, or any other type of attachment mechanism to physically attach the back straps 116 to one another when the bib 110 is worn by a user of the apparatus 100.

The cover 120 extends from a bottom end of the bib 110 in a lengthwise direction away from the bib 110 and toward the strap 130 (and toward a bottom end of the apparatus 100). The cover 120 can have a shape and size suitable for covering at least part of a dining surface (e.g., tray of highchair, table surface, etc.) to which the apparatus 100 is mounted. In one specific example, the cover 120 has width and length dimensions greater than those of a typical tray of a child highchair.

In some examples, the cover 120 is shaped to define one or more apertures 124 (e.g., holes, cut-outs, openings, etc.). In the illustrated example, cover 120 includes a single aperture 124. However, in alternative examples, the cover 120 can instead be shaped to define a plurality of apertures 124 at a plurality of different positions. Generally, the aperture 124 is configured to expose a portion of a dining surface (e.g., tray or table surface) when the cover 120 is overlaid, mounted, or otherwise placed on the dining surface. Thus, the cover 120 is configured to cover portions of the dining surface (e.g., tray or table) other than the exposed portion overlapped by the aperture 124. Although the aperture 124 is shown to have an elliptical shape for the sake of example in FIGS. 1A-1C, it is noted that the aperture 124 can alternatively have a circular, rectangular, or any other shape without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In the illustrated example, the cover 120 includes an inlet 126 defined by the aperture 124. The inlet 126 extends through the cover 120 from a front side of the cover 120 (as shown in FIG. 1B) to a back side of the cover 120 (as shown in FIG. 1C). For example, the inlet 126 may include an edge (or edges) of the cover 120 extending along boundaries of the aperture 124. In some examples, the inlet 126 may be configured to receive tableware (or other objects) inserted through the inlet 126. For example, when the apparatus 100 is mounted to a dining surface (e.g., tray or table surface) or to a highchair, tableware (e.g., dish, self-sealing dish, etc.) can be disposed directly onto the dining surface at a location exposed by the aperture 124 and at least a portion of the tableware can be inserted through the inlet 126 to extend out of the front side of the cover 120 (best shown in FIG. 1B).

The cover 120 also includes an inlet adapter 128 coupled to the inlet 126. The inlet adapter 12 includes any combination of one or more structures configured to adjust a size or shape of the inlet 126 (and/or the aperture 124). Additionally or alternatively, the inlet adapter 128 may be configured to attach the cover 120 to tableware inserted through the inlet 126 by adjusting the shape or size of the inlet 126 (and/or the aperture 124). To that end, various implementations of the inlet adapter 128 are possible and are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure, such as elastic materials, memory foam materials, zippers, drawstrings, buttons, foldable flaps, other types of fastening/attachment mechanisms adapted to control a size or shape of the inlet, among other examples.

In an example, the inlet adapter 128 includes an elastic material disposed along a perimeter of the inlet 126 to flexibly adjust a size or shape of the inlet 126 (or the aperture 124). For instance, the inlet adapter 128 may include an elastic band extending along at least part of the perimeter or periphery of the inlet 126 (and/or the aperture 124) to secure and/or otherwise attach at least a portion of tableware inserted through the inlet 126 with the cover 120 (e.g., by transforming the shape or size of the inlet 126 to conform with the shape or size of the tableware or object inserted through and/or in contact with the inlet 126). In some implementations, the elastic material of the inlet adapter 128 may extend only partially around the perimeter of the inlet 126 to flexibly adjust the size or shape of a portion of the inlet 126 adjacent to the elastic material. In other implementations, the elastic material may extend along the whole perimeter of the inlet 126. In some implementations, the inlet adapter 128 may also include a seam extending around the perimeter of the inlet 126. In these implementations, the elastic material (e.g., elastic band), or a portion thereof, may be disposed inside the seam.

In another example, the inlet adapter 128 additionally or alternatively includes a zipper. For example, the zipper or inlet adapter 128 can be used to reduce or increase a perimeter of the inlet 126 (and/or the aperture 124) by changing a zipping position.

In another example, the inlet adapter 128 additionally or alternatively includes a foldable flap. For instance, a foldable flap 128 can be disposed adjacent to and/or at least partially overlapping the aperture 124. In this instance, the foldable flap 128 moved to different folding positions thereby uncovering or covering different portions of the aperture 124 or otherwise adjusting the exposed portion of a dining surface on which the cover 120 is placed. To facilitate this, in some implementations, the cover 120 may include a fist connector (not shown) disposed on the foldable flap and a second connector (not shown). The first and second connectors may include hook-and-loop connectors, drawstrings, buttons, button holes, or any other type fasteners. In these implementations, the foldable flap 128 can be restrained at a particular folding position by physically attaching the first connector and the second connector to one another.

In another example, the inlet adapter 128 additionally or alternatively includes a memory foam. For instance, a memory foam 128 can be disposed along a perimeter or periphery of the inlet 126 to flexibly adjust a size or shape of the inlet 126 (or the aperture 124) in response to an application of a force or pressure by a user on the memory foam 128.

The bottom strap 130 extends away from a bottom end of the cover 120 in a lengthwise direction toward a bottom end of the apparatus 100. In other words, the bottom strap 130 has a proximal end adjacent to the cover 120 and a distal end corresponding to a bottom end of the apparatus 100. The bottom strap 130 may be configured as a closing or fastening mechanism for mounting the cover 120 to a dining surface (e.g., a tray of a highchair).

To facilitate this, the bottom strap 130 includes a connector 132 disposed at or near the distal end of the bottom strap 130. In the illustrated example, the connector 132 is disposed on a back side of the bottom strap 130 (shown in FIG. 1C). In alternate examples, the connector 132 can be instead disposed on the front side (shown in FIG. 1B) or any other side of the bottom strap 130. In general, the connector 132 is configured to physically attach the distal end of the bottom strap 130 to another connector 122 disposed in the cover 120 or the bib 110. In the illustrated example, the connector 122 is disposed on the back side of the table cover 120. However, it is noted that the connector 122 can be alternatively disposed in a different side and/or region of the apparatus 100. The connectors 122 and 132 may include any type of fasteners, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, buttons and buttonholes, drawstrings, among other examples, or any other type of attachment mechanism.

In some examples, the apparatus 100 can be secured and/or mounted to a dining surface as follows. First, the cover 120 (or a portion thereof) can be placed or overlaid on the dining surface (e.g., tray of a highchair). Then, the bottom strap 130 can be pulled underneath the dining surface to attach the connector 132 (e.g., positioned on the back side of the bottom strap 120, etc.) with the connector 122 (e.g., positioned on the back side of the cover 120, etc.).

In the illustrated example, the bottom strap 130 has a tapered shape. For example, a first width of the bottom strap 130 at the proximal end of the bottom strap 130 (adjacent to the cover 120) is greater than a second width of the bottom strap 130 at the distal end of the bottom strap 130 (e.g., where the connector 132 is disposed). In this way, for instance, the present disclosure advantageously facilitates inserting the bottom strap 130 underneath a tray of a highchair while a child is seated on the highchair to attach the connectors 122 and 132 to one another by reducing the amount of material inserted (due to the tapered or reduced width of the bottom strap 130 as compared to the width of the table cover 120) in the space between the child and the tray of the high chair.

It is noted that the apparatus 100 can alternatively include fewer, more or different components than those shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C. For example, the bib 110 can be alternatively implemented with shorter sleeves 112 than those shown or with no sleeves 112 at all. Other examples are possible as well.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an example configuration 200 of the example dining apparatus 100 while worn by a wearer 10 (e.g., child) and/or while mounted to a highchair 20. As shown, the bib 110 can secure the apparatus 100 onto the wearer 10 by inserting a right hand or arm 12 a of the wearer 10 through the right sleeve 112 a and inserting a left hand or arm 12 b of the wearer 10 through the left sleeve 112 b. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 2A, the sleeves 112 and torso cover 114 of the bib 110 may together protect clothing (not shown) of the person 10 and/or portions of a body of the person 10 covered by the bib 110 from debris (e.g., foods, liquids, solids, etc.) spilled by the person 10 while dining, and possibly also protect furniture (e.g., high chair 10) or other surfaces (e.g., floor) in the environment of the apparatus 100 from the spilled debris. Additionally, as best shown in FIG. 2B, the back straps 116 a and 116 b are connected to one another to secure the bib 110 onto the wearer 10.

Additionally, as noted above, the cover 120 can be placed, overlaid, and/or mounted onto a dining surface such as the tray 22 such that the cover 120 covers at least part of the tray 22. For example, as shown, a portion of tray 22 is exposed through the inlet 126 while other portions of the tray 22 are covered by the cover 120. Further, as best shown in FIG. 2B, the apparatus 100 can be secured to the highchair 110 by connecting the bottom strap 130 (extended underneath the tray 120) to the tray cover 120 (e.g., using the connectors 122 and 132 that are best shown in FIG. 1C).

Thus, in the scenario of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the cover 120 can facilitate protecting clothing (e.g., of the person 10), furniture (e.g., covered portions of the tray 22), or other surfaces in the environment of the apparatus 100 while the person 10 is dining. Further, the inlet 126 of the cover 120 may allow placement of tableware (e.g., dishes, self-sealing tableware, etc.) directly onto the exposed portion of tray 22 shown in FIG. 2A while still protecting the covered portions of the tray 22 surrounding such tableware from falling debris.

For example, FIG. 3 illustrates an example configuration 300 where tableware 24 is disposed directly onto the tray 22 of highchair 24 (by inserting the tableware 24 through the inlet 126), in line with the discussion above.

Aspects of the subject matter described herein may be useful alone or in combination with one or more other aspects described herein. In an example, an apparatus is provided that includes a bib shaped to cover at least a portion of a body of a wearer. The apparatus also includes a tray cover extending from the bib. The tray cover is configured to cover at least part of a tray of a highchair. The tray cover is shaped to form an aperture configured to expose a portion of the tray. The apparatus also includes an inlet defined by the aperture. The inlet extends from a back side of the tray cover to a front side of the tray cover. The inlet is configured to receive at least a portion of tableware disposed on the tray and inserted through the inlet.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus includes an inlet adapter coupled to the inlet.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes an elastic material disposed along a perimeter of the inlet to flexibly adjust a size or shape of the inlet.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes a seam extending along the perimeter of the inlet, where at least a portion of the elastic material is disposed inside the seam.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter is configured to attach the tray cover to the tableware by adjusting a shape or size of the inlet.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes a zipper.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes a foldable flap.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter is configured to attach the tray cover to the tableware by adjusting a shape or size of the inlet.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes a zipper.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes a foldable flap.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the first connector is configured to retain the foldable flap at a given folding position by physically attaching the first connector to the second connector.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the first connector and the second connector are hook-and-loop fasteners.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of the first connector and the second connector is a button.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the inlet adapter includes a memory foam.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the tray cover is shaped to form a plurality of apertures configured to overlap the tray at a plurality of different positions.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the bib is a first lengthwise section of a single garment and the tray cover is a second lengthwise section of the single garment.

To the extent that any of these aspects are mutually exclusive, it should be understood that such mutual exclusivity shall not limit in any way the combination of such aspects with any other aspect whether or not such aspect is explicitly recited. Any of these aspects may be claimed, without limitation, as a system, method, apparatus, device, medium, etc.

The many features and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the written description, and thus, the appended claims are intended to cover all such features and advantages of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the present disclosure is not limited to the exact construction and operation as illustrated and described. Therefore, the described embodiments should be taken as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure should not be limited to the details given herein but should be defined by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable now or in the future. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable apparatus comprising: a bib shaped to cover at least a portion of a body of a wearer; a tray cover extending from the bib, wherein the tray cover is configured to cover at least part of a tray of a highchair, and wherein the tray cover is shaped to form an aperture configured to expose a portion of the tray; and an inlet defined by the aperture, the inlet extending from a back side of the tray cover to a front side of the tray cover, wherein the inlet is configured to receive at least a portion of tableware disposed on the tray and inserted through the inlet.
 2. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an inlet adapter coupled to the inlet.
 3. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inlet adapter includes an elastic material disposed along a perimeter of the inlet to flexibly adjust a size or shape of the inlet.
 4. The wearable apparatus of claim 3, wherein the inlet adapter also includes a seam extending along the perimeter of the inlet, and wherein at least a portion of the elastic material is disposed inside the seam.
 5. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inlet adapter is configured to attach the tray cover to the tableware by adjusting a shape or size of the inlet.
 6. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inlet adapter includes a zipper.
 7. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inlet adapter includes a foldable flap.
 8. The wearable apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a first connector disposed on the foldable flap; and a second connector, wherein the first connector is configured to retain the foldable flap at a given folding position by physically attaching the first connector to the second connector.
 9. The wearable apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first connector and the second connector are hook-and-loop fasteners.
 10. The wearable apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first connector and the second connector is a button.
 11. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inlet adapter includes a memory foam.
 12. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tray cover is shaped to form a plurality of apertures configured to overlap the tray at a plurality of different positions.
 13. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bib is a first lengthwise section of a single garment and the tray cover is a second lengthwise section of the single garment. 